Mark Taylor

Biography

Scottish flautist Mark Taylor gained his postgraduate musical training at the Hochshule für Musik und Tanz, Köln, studying with Professor Robert Winn. Prior to this, Mark was a student at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama where he graduated with First Class Honours and one of the prestigious Concert Recital Diplomas. He received his early musical training at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland’s Junior Academy of Music and the Music School of Douglas Academy with Sheena Gordon.

Mark regular plays Guest Principal Flute with orchestras including Britten Sinfonia, City of London Sinfonia, Royal Northern Sinfonia, RTÉ Concert Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, Opera North, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Scottish Opera, Scottish Ballet and Ulster Orchestra. He has also played Principal Piccolo with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, BBC Scottish and Hallé orchestras and was member of Southbank Sinfonia.

A multi-award winner, Mark has been recipient of; The Elias Fawcett prize from The Royal Overseas League, The Countess of Munster Felicity Belfield Award and Star Award, The Wiseman Prize form The Sir James Caird Travelling Scholarship Fund and The June Alison Woodwind Award from The Philharmonia Orchestra. In addition to these, he has received varying awards from The Wolfsdon foundation, Harold Craxton Memorial Trust and The Sir John Barbirolli Memorial foundation. Mark has also had great competition success, previously having won the Guildhall Needlemakers Woodwind Prize, The Glasgow Music Festival (2010 With Trio & 2011 Solo) & The Gilbert Innes Woodwind Prize from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

As a soloist Mark has performed recitals and concertos in concert halls around the U.K including Glasgow City halls, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Usher Hall, Milton Court, and Snape Maltings. Recent solo engagements have included a Concerto appearance with Britten Sinfonia alongside Alison Balsom and Nicholas Daniel. He has given recitals at the Cheltenham, Dart, and Leicester international Music Festivals.

Teaching has played an important part in Mark’s career. As well as teaching at Junior Guildhall, Mark is a specialist teacher of Flute and Piccolo at the Purcell School for Young Musicians and Regional Music Development Lead for West Hertfordshire.